Meta Marth Drabbles
by Lady Tsuru27
Summary: A collection of short stories about Marth and Meta Knight. Some of these will be romantic in nature. See beginning of first chapter for details.
1. Soaring

**Welcome, one and all! Welcome to my weird little speck of the Internet. So, as I said in the summary, this is going to be a series of Meta Knight + Marth one-shot stories. Some of them will be romantic in nature – you have been warned! There is a reason for the T rating, though most stories will be rated differently. Some will be focused purely on friendship. For your convenience, I've decided to label each chapter so you can focus on one or the other, as you prefer. I will provide warnings as necessary, so you can skip a story if it has something you don't want to read. I know the idea of a romance between two male characters is weird to some, and the idea of a romance between a human and a puffball is even weirder to most. What can I say? The idea took hold a long time ago, and it just stuck with me.**

 **Also, the characters' personalities in this may be skewed from how you know them. I base Meta Knight mainly on how he's presented in the anime,** _ **Hoshi no Kaabii**_ **; and Marth is based on the OVA portrayal. If you've read my old stories, you know the drill already (and speaking of the old stuff, I'm mainly writing these as a warmup to rewrite the others; expect updates sometime soon). Their physical appearances are based on the ones shown in Smash Bros, though, so Meta Knight is not exactly tiny. He comes up to about Marth's hip, and he's quite big around.**

 **Without further ado, let's get on with it!**

 **In this chapter: Fluff; romance if you want it to be, but otherwise just a friendship piece**

Soaring

"I could carry you, if you wanted me to." The suggestion startled the knight, who turned and looked up at his companion as if he doubted the prince had actually said those words.

"You could what?" Meta Knight said.

"If you want to get there faster, I could carry you." Marth nodded towards the castle in the distance, which they were returning to after a day in town.

"… Why do you insult me?" Meta Knight asked after a moment of just staring at the prince.

"Ah, I didn't mean- that is, I just thought you would appreciate a break." Marth shook his head and continued walking. "I apologize, so just forget I said anything." He hadn't meant to offend the knight, but they were making slow progress and Marth was anxious to get home. Ike was beginning to outpace him in the tournament, so he had planned to squeeze a bit more practice into his evenings before dinner. Meta Knight's stubby legs could carry him fast and far when running, but at a walk he was much slower than Marth was. Besides, he had been privileged to carry the knight before.

"Would you like a ride?"

Marth stopped walking, and looked back at Meta Knight, who hadn't moved. "What do you mean?"

"How would you like it if I offered to carry you?"

The prince laughed, hoping that Meta Knight was joking. The masked warrior hardly ever joked, though, and he glared up at the prince as he closed the distance between them. "You think I could not." It wasn't a question. "I didn't know you were one to judge a warrior by his size."

"I wasn't judging you," Marth said, his cheeks turning pink. "Only, I don't see how you could possibly carry me. Aren't your arms too short?"

Sometimes the knight was a man of action, not words. Instead of a verbal reply, Marth got a whack to the backs of his knees as the denizen of Popstar rushed forward. He stumbled and fell back, but was surprised to find himself suspended above the ground. Meta Knight held him with one hand on his back and the other behind his legs. The warrior's arms were too short to wrap around him, but his hands were large enough to support him. His gloved hands were like the pads of a chair. Marth could almost hear the smirk behind the mask, and he smiled.

"I concede victory to you, my friend," he said. "I knew you were strong, but now you've proven your dexterity as well. I'm sorry for doubting you." He then moved to stand up, but was not set on his feet. "Let's go," he said.

"As you wish," Meta Knight replied, and his cape fluttered out to become a pair of wings. Marth's eyes widened.

"Sir Meta Knight…" was the only thing he had time to say before they took to the air. He let out a most undignified yelp of alarm as the ground suddenly moved away from him, and he flailed for something to hold onto. That something turned out to be Meta Knight's pauldrons and collar.

"Loosen your grip, Your Highness," Meta Knight said calmly as they climbed higher. "It is… difficult to see."

Marth shifted so that he was no longer thrown across Meta Knight's face, feeling like an idiot. They flew into the clouds, and Marth closed his eyes against the cold wetness bombarding his face. When they emerged above the low cloud cover, though, he blinked and dared to look around.

"Sugoi…" The prince could see everything so clearly. With one layer of clouds below them and one above, it felt as if they were between two different worlds. The sky was so bright and clear, he couldn't look in the direction of the setting sun without hurting his eyes. Orange, pink, and gold all blended together to create swirling patterns in the clouds, and in some places, he couldn't tell where they ended and the sky began.

If he squinted, he could see a faint impression of the land below them. They were flying over the hills now, and making a short trip of the usually arduous path that led through the forest. Master Hand's castle wasn't too far off now.

"You've never flown before?" Meta Knight asked.

"No…" He had fought on the stage high above, in the realm of Lady Palutena; however, he had never soared through the sky like this. "This is amazing…" he said. His words were lost to the air whipping around them, but Meta Knight seemed to have heard him.

"I'm glad you approve, Your Highness," the warrior said.

They landed all too soon for Marth's liking, touching down in the courtyard and startling Luigi as they did so. "Sorry," Marth called to the retreating green figure. "Ah, it appears he is running towards Ganondorf's tower…" The sorcerer had claimed an entire tower for himself, and nobody was really inclined to challenge him about it. "Should we stop him?"

"No," Meta Knight said simply, his eyes flashing magenta for a moment before he turned and motioned towards the great hall. "Shall we, then?"

Marth led the way to the dining room, thinking that he would have to find a way to apologize to the knight for inadvertently insulting him. The little star warrior was capable of great things, and Marth vowed to never doubt him again.


	2. A Day at the Beach

**In this chapter: Fluff, mild cursing, friendship or romance as you like it, naked male torsos as far as the eye can see (if you imagine it)**

 **Also, I should add a note here about Meta Knight's eyes: In the anime, his eye color changes briefly depending on what he's feeling. Green is thoughtful or contemplative, red is angry, gray is sad, blue is happy or proud, white is determined or passionate, and pink is amused.**

 **Another note: This was inspired by Meta Knightmare Returns, the extra mode of Kirby: Planet Robobot. When Meta Knight gets into the water… Well, you'll see! (giggles like a crazy person)**

A Day at the Beach

It had been Peach's suggestion to go to the beach on one of their days off that week, and most of the other smashers were agreeable to it. While Palutena tasked Pit and Link with lining up the younger members of the group (a command that was met with some grumbling, but that was otherwise followed), Peach enlisted Rosalina's and Mario's help packing sandwiches for everyone.

Two swordsmen stood apart from the commotion, though. Marth and Meta Knight were sitting in the shade of a tree and watching everyone else with trepidation. "Do you think Princess Peach is trying to get us all to pose for that… ah, what is the word…"

"Calendar," Meta Knight filled in Marth's question, and nodded. "I'm afraid that is a possibility."

"Did she have her… ah…"

"Camera?" Meta Knight offered again. "I did see her with a satchel that was suspiciously like her camera case, yes."

"Should we brave it?"

"If you wish, Your Highness," Meta Knight said. "I will remain here."

"Ah, you're surely not afraid of her, are you?" Marth said teasingly.

"No."

"Then perhaps we should go on our own sometime."

"Do as you wish," Meta Knight said simply.

Marth frowned. "You won't come?"

"I do not swim."

"You don't know how to swim?" Marth was taken aback.

"I know how. I just choose not to."

The prince knew better than to ask, but he didn't want to go to the beach alone. Besides, now he had been presented with a challenge: to get Meta Knight to accompany him on a seaside trip. "You don't need to swim," Marth said, standing up and brushing off his backside. "Would you come with me, then? We can sit on the sand as well as we can sit under this tree."

"And we can sit under this tree without needing to go anywhere," Meta Knight retorted.

"Ah, so you are afraid," Marth sighed. He turned to walk away, counting his steps. One, two, three… After a dozen, he heard the knight walking up behind him. He smirked.

WWWWWW

The ocean really did look inviting on such a bright and sunny day, Marth had to admit. By the time he and Meta Knight arrived, most of the other combatants were already settling in. Many had brought large parasols and bright blankets, transforming the white expanse of sand into a colorful spectacle. Changing tents had already been set up, and a line was forming.

"I'm going to go change," Marth said.

Meta Knight nodded, planting his feet firmly. "You do that."

The prince strode towards the pink and white tents, marveling at the efficiency with which Princess Peach could carry out her plans. It helped to have a steady source of labor, too, he noted as he spied the waddle-dees hastily putting up a large pavilion. He wondered how in the world she had gotten King Dedede to agree to loan out his servants – or if he had agreed to it at all.

"Your Highness," Ike nodded in greeting as Marth approached. The mercenary was emerging from one of the tents, wearing a pair of dark red bathing trunks.

"Hello," Marth nodded in return. "I see you wasted no time in undressing."

"Isn't that why you're here?" Ike smirked, crossing his arms and stepping aside so Fox could enter the tent next. "I'm surprised. You always seemed too prim and proper for that kind of thing."

"Prim and proper?" the prince tossed his bangs aside, a show of slight irritation. "Are you saying I'm a… a dandy or something?"

"Heheh, no, Your Highness, not at all." The mercenary had to dodge a well-aimed swat meant for his shoulder. "I was just thinking you'd be embarrassed to be seen like this."

"Th- that's not true!" Marth flushed bright red, and turned to stand firmly in line behind Link, who was snickering to himself about the exchange. "Begone, will you?"

Ike bowed, in earnest or in mockery Marth wasn't sure. Though the two swordsmen were friends, Ike sometimes liked to tease him. Marth knew he meant no harm, in the end. Still, some of what he'd said rang true. When he really thought about it, he had never been seen in public wearing anything less than his usual attire.

Soon it was his turn, and he returned Link's wave as the Hyrulean hero emerged in green swim trunks. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone wearing underclothes. They were all wearing proper swim wear, including the women coming out of the two tents to the left. Marth hadn't thought to bring any swim trunks.

When he entered the tent, though, he found a waddle-dee standing inside. "Ah, excuse me…" the prince said, but the creature just took out a tape measure and began flinging it over his hips and legs, moving faster than Marth could follow. It then turned to the tiny sewing machine in the corner and set to work. In no time at all, Marth was given a pair of blue swim trunks. The waddle-dee then turned to face the wall.

"Thank you…" he said, and went to work disrobing. He took off everything but his sword, which remained slung about his hip – just in case. As he gathered up his things, the waddle-dee handed him a white bag, obviously to hold his clothes. With another thanks to the creature, Marth carefully folded his clothing and put it in the bag. Then, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath, he left the tent.

"Looking good!" Peach giggled as he passed her on his way back to where Meta Knight was waiting.

"Piichi-sama, you really did think of everything," Marth said, bowing to her. "Though… how did you get King Dedede's servants to obey you?"

"They're such fast workers, aren't they? All they need is a little acknowledgement. Dedede treats them so unfairly!" She adjusted a shoulder strap on her pink bikini, patting down the heart-shaped bow. "But when properly motivated, they do such a wonderful job! I'm thinking of offering them a permanent position at my castle."

"I'm sure they would like that," Marth said, bowing once more and leaving the conversation as politely as he could. He liked Peach, but the way she kept fingering the camera case made him nervous.

Meta Knight was still standing on the dune overlooking the shore, and he watched Marth climb towards him with his cape wrapped around himself. "Let's go find a spot near the water," Marth suggested. Meta Knight only nodded, and followed him down the hill.

"Ah, such a nice day…" Marth sighed. "I think Piichi-sama- er, Princess Peach has a gift for choosing the perfect activities for certain days." There was no response from Meta Knight, and Marth had to glance back to make sure he was still there. "Would you believe this is my first time in a bathing suit?"

"It shows," Meta Knight said at last as they came to a stop by the surf.

"I- it does?"

"You're rambling," the knight said, though not in an accusing way. "You do that when you're nervous."

"You seem to know me better than I know myself, then," Marth said.

"My observational skills have to be sharp."

Marth didn't have a comeback to that, so he turned towards the water and watched the waves for a moment. "Are you sure you won't come swim with me?" Marth asked.

"I am sure. You enjoy yourself."

The prince stepped out into the water, shuddering as sand was squished between his toes. What a strange feeling… The waves lapped at his legs, and he took a wide stance as the water got deeper. Glancing back at Meta Knight, who was watching him, he got an idea. Wading out farther, he fell onto his stomach and swam out a bit. Then he cried out, feigning a cramp.

"Meta Knight, h- help!" he called, waving his arm in the air as he pretended to struggle to stay afloat. To his shock and irritation, the knight brushed the sand beneath him and sat down. "My leg has seized up! I can't swim!"

"Really, Your Highness, I thought you were more mature than this," Meta Knight said. "I'm not falling for that."

Marth stopped thrashing, feeling abashed. "Dammit… It's not fun to swim alone!"

"You won't have to. It looks as if you have company."

"N- nani?" The prince turned just in time to see something green rushing towards him, kicking up a large wake. He tried to dodge, but it hit him in the chest and pushed him forcefully towards the shore. It was Yoshi – the dinosaur had seen him "drowning" and had come out to help. Once the prince was back on land, Yoshi began hopping up and down on his chest.

Meta Knight watched, his eyes bright pink, as the well-meaning reptile attempted to "revive" Marth. The prince could do nothing but lie there, letting out an "Uf!" or a "Waah!" every now and then as the breath was stomped out of him. Eventually Yoshi was satisfied that Marth's life had been saved, and he stepped off of him.

"Good job," Meta Knight said, and Yoshi walked away with his head held up and his tail wagging. Then the knight turned to Marth, who was coughing and shaking sand out of his hair. "I've heard of the boy who cried wolf, but the boy who cried drowning seems to have gotten off a lot worse."

Marth just glared at him.

WWWWWW

As sunset approached, Marth felt a sense of accomplishment. He had avoided Peach, who was indeed snapping pictures, and he had gotten in a good swim when Pit and Shulk had challenged him to a race. Meta Knight still refused to go near the water, but Marth had decided to leave him alone about it.

"Meta Knight!" a shout carried across the sand, and the two swordsmen looked up from watching Kirby, Ness and Lucas build a sandcastle. King Dedede was waddling towards them, looking furious. "I want you to get those Waddle Dees back from Peach!"

"Surely you don't intend for me to fight her here," Meta Knight said.

"Why not?" Peach was gliding over to them across the sand. "A sunset battle by the beach sounds fun! But I'm not letting the Waddle Dees go, because I haven't forced them to come to me. They were only helping out!"

"They're my servants, and you can't have 'em!" The king was raging, stomping his feet and kicking up sand. Lucas backed away a little, hiding behind Ness.

"Hmm… OK, then," Peach suddenly brightened, putting a hand to her cheek. "I could let them go… Iiiiif…"

"You're gonna make demands of me?" Dedede fumed.

"Well, there is something I want a great deal…" Marth noticed that she was running her fingers along the strap of her camera bag. "I've been getting pictures of all the guys in their swimsuits, but one has been a party pooper and decided to hide from me…" She was now looking right at Marth.

"Eh? All you wanted was for me to pose for a picture?" Dedede asked.

"What? Oh, no, not you!" Peach giggled. "I was talking about Marth! If you can convince him to pose for a picture, I'll return the Waddle Dees. And if you don't, I might just persuade them to work for me."

Never let it be said that Peach couldn't be evil, Marth thought as Dedede and Meta Knight turned to look at him. He took a step back, suddenly wishing he had never wanted to come here. "Ie," he said. "I won't pose for any pictures. It's embarrassing!"

"I'll fight ya for it!" Dedede said, swinging his ever-present hammer.

"I believe I can persuade him," Meta Knight said, and his eyes held a wicked gleam to them. Marth almost backed up over the kids' sand castle, which Kirby was trying to guard.

Peach giggled, unzipping the camera bag. King Dedede flipped his hammer a few times, and said, "Get him, Meta Knight!". Meta Knight advanced, his cape billowing out and becoming wings as he pushed off from the ground. Marth had no choice but to run for it.

He was fast, and he had the wind on his side. He skimmed across the sand, splashing out into the water, knowing Meta Knight wouldn't follow him there. The knight was close behind him, though, followed by Peach and Dedede. Kirby trailed them all, bouncing along happily as he joined in the new game: catch Marth.

Just as the prince escaped to deeper water, Meta Knight swooped down from the sky and lifted him out of the ocean. "AH!" Marth yelped as he found himself suddenly airborne, held up by his underarms. "Meta Knight, stop!" he cried. "I can't believe you're - !"

They passed over the group waiting on the shore, though, and the royals gave twin shouts of dismay as the two swordsmen flew overhead. Meta Knight rose higher, letting go of Marth briefly so he could loop back around and catch him in a proper hold. Marth held on for dear life as they sped away from the beach, and only opened his eyes once they were safely on the ground in the meadow.

"Th- thank you…" Marth panted, catching his breath from being jostled around so much. He sprawled onto the grass, relieved and a little embarrassed.

"Don't mention it." There was a sudden clicking sound, and Marth opened his eyes to see Meta Knight standing over him, a small camera held in his hands.

"S- Sir Meta Knight!"

"A commemorative keepsake, if you'll allow it," Meta Knight said, tucking the camera into his cape. "I promise I will not give it to Princess Peach."

Marth huffed, lying back down and staring up at the sky. "Fine," he said, as the breeze played in his hair and as Meta Knight sat down to join him. "I still want to know why you won't go into the water…"

Meta Knight was silent for a while, and then he walked over to the pond nearby. Sighing heavily, he waded into the water. To Marth's astonishment, a ring-shaped flotation device appeared around the knight's middle. It was purple with a pattern of black bats. When Meta Knight turned to him, the warrior was obviously irritated. There was also a pair of goggles strapped over the visor in his mask.

"Where did that come from?" Marth asked, the corners of his mouth quirking into a smile despite his best efforts to prevent it. It was so… cute.

"They come with the cape," Meta Knight said, splashing back towards dry land and shaking himself off as the swimming accessories disappeared. "They deploy automatically when I get into the water."

"It's not so… That is, I'm sure nobody would say anything."

"I cannot trust that Princess Peach would not take advantage of the situation, and add my picture to that project of hers."

"Maybe I should take a picture, since you took one of me."

"You would capture me in such an undignified position?"

"It's not undignified, it's cute!"

That was the wrong thing to say. Marth realized his mistake as he was lifted, swung around, and promptly dumped into the pond.


	3. A Haunting

**In this chapter: Romance, mild sexual content (nothing explicit); This is the first chapter with any kind of romantic bent, so consider this your final warning.**

A Haunting

"Then… when they least expected it…" Toon Link drew his sword and slashed through the air in one motion. "CRASH! It got 'em!"

Lucas was the only one who screamed and dove for cover. Ness laughed at Lucas' reaction, while Kirby popped another roasted marshmallow into his mouth, unfazed. TL, as Ness often called him, was a little put out at the response. Lucas was always scared of something, so having him freak out was hardly anything to brag about. "Come on, that was scary!" As the eldest of the group, he felt it was his responsibility to scare the living daylights out of the others.

"That wasn't scary," Ness said, his arms crossed. "It wasn't even believable! You gotta make it sound real."

"B- but ghosts aren't real, right?" Lucas said, emerging from behind Kirby. "I mean, not murdering ones like that. There's the ones that possess people, of course, and the ones that were haunting that graveyard… But there aren't any here, are there?"

"I thought I saw some at Luigi's Mansion, but that's it," Ness said. "I don't think they can hurt you, though."

"Yeah? Well, I bet this castle is haunted," TL said. "It's big, it's old, and it's bound to have a few ghosts. I bet you'd be too scared to go find them, though…"

"You'd sure win that bet!" Lucas gulped, but Ness stood up, handing the remainder of the bag of marshmallows to a delighted Kirby.

"I'll go," he said. "And I'll bet you five tokens that there aren't any ghosts here."

"OK, then. Let's go explore the castle!" TL leapt to his feet, excited to finally have something to do. Kirby followed, having finished all the marshmallows. Lucas sat down, though.

"I'll just stay here and, uh, keep the fire going."

A quick flick of Link's boomerang stirred up a whirlwind of dust, which came to fall on the fire to extinguish it. Lucas groaned as Ness grabbed his hand and pulled him along, and the four of them left the picnic grounds.

The moon was high, casting eerie shadows in the courtyard as the four kids walked along the path. They saw adult Link and Mario sitting by the fountain, and Ness stopped for a minute to ask, "Hey guys, have you heard of anything unusual happening around here?"

The men stopped their discussion, seeming to think for a minute. "Not really," Link said, but Mario stroked his moustache contemplatively.

"You know, there was-a something," the plumber said. "I was-a walking past the library the other night, when I heard something-a strange. You kids might-a go take a look."

"All right, thanks!" Ness ran to catch up with the others, and told them about Mario's tip. "It's the case of the mysterious library noise!" he said.

"It was probably just a mouse or… something…" Lucas said, apparently trying to convince himself. The others ignored him.

Mario and Link watched the little group go, and Mario shrugged. "It'll give-a them something to do," he said, and the two stood to go join the Fit Trainers at the evening yoga class.

Meanwhile the kids had reached the library, finding it surprisingly empty. It was a sizeable room with books on almost every subject, spanning the worlds from which the Smash combatants hailed. Here, anyone could go and read up on the other competitors' culture – and perhaps gain some insight to the others' fighting styles. It was unusual to find the place deserted, even at this hour.

"Did Mario say what kind of noise he heard?" Link asked.

"Nah, I didn't stop to ask," Ness said. "Let's just listen for a while."

They did. They sat in the reading nook, on plush chairs made for lounging. Kirby fell asleep against Lucas, who became calmer as time wore on and nothing happened.

"I thought it was bedtime for you babies?"

They all started at the sudden interruption (except for Kirby, who only blinked as he was awoken). Dark Pit had walked in, and he stood with his hand on his hip.

"We're waiting for a ghost to show up," Ness said. "Mario said he heard something strange the other night. We're here to investigate!"

"Ghosts?" the clone threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, man, you guys are stupid. Except…" Affecting an expression of thoughtfulness, he put a finger to his chin. "Well, there was one thing… You guys know where the items are stored, right?"

"Yeah?" Link stood up, intrigued.

"I probably shouldn't say this… I mean, I don't want you kids to go looking and end up getting hurt…"

"Cut the act and just tell us already!" Ness demanded.

"OK, so I was there the other night..."

"What were you doing in there?" Toon Link asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Never you mind, brat," Dark Pit smirked. "Anyway, I was in there the other night, when I heard something… odd. Like, a strange moaning sound. Groaning. Even something like chains rattling. Nobody ever goes in there, so I didn't think I'd be followed. But when I looked around, I couldn't find anyone. Maybe you kids could buzz off there for a while."

"All right, come on, guys!" Ness stood and took off down the hall, followed by the others.

"You know he's probably lying," Toon Link said as they gradually slowed down. They were coming to unfamiliar territory, and Ness wanted to be sure they found the right place. "I bet this is just a wild goose chase."

"Even so, did you really want to sit in that library all night?"

"Huh… I guess not."

As they passed the armory, they could hear people inside. Someone was sharpening a blade while talking with someone else. Like the library, the armory was hardly ever abandoned. The general storage room was beyond that, and past that was the item storage room. It was always empty, since the items appeared automatically on the stages during fights. Nobody had any need to come here, and the kids came to a halt outside the door.

"Are- are we allowed to go in?" Lucas asked, shaking.

"It's not forbidden," Toon Link said, opening the door. The hinges creaked from misuse. Toon Link and Ness entered first, followed by Kirby and Lucas.

This room was very large, and dark. Crates of items were stacked along the walls, labeled with pictures of their contents. In the center of the long room, there were display cases showing every item available. The lights glowing inside provided the only illumination, and the kids gawked up at them as they passed.

In the meantime, Dark Pit and Pit were fluttering down the hallway. "They should be there by now," Dark Pit said, laughing wickedly. "Oh, man, this is gonna be so good…"

"So why do you want to scare them, anyway?" Pit asked. "Isn't that mean?"

"Hey, they're the ones who wanna see a ghost! I'm just giving them what they asked for. And having a good laugh along the way!"

"Well, I do think this kind of thing can be fun…" Pit mused, dodging an astonished-looking Fox and almost crashing into the ceiling. "What are we gonna do?"

"We'll sneak in behind them, make some noise, and then fly out at them. I bet they'll lose it!"

As the two angels approached the storage area, they landed on the floor and crept along the remainder of the hallway. They found the door already open, and Dark Pit smirked. "Quietly…" he whispered, and they practically slid into the room.

They could see the kids at the far end, highlighted by the display cases. Slowly, carefully, Dark Pit gripped the door handle and pulled it. Then he suddenly slammed the door, and pushed Pit to the side behind some crates. He grinned to himself as he heard Lucas scream.

"Th- the door closed by itself!" the blonde almost fell over, gripping Kirby tightly.

"Who's there?" Toon Link called. His voice echoed around the room.

"I bet it's Dark Pit," Ness whispered. "He's probably trying to scare us."

"You… you really think so?" Lucas seemed ready to faint.

"You're probably right," Toon Link said softly. "If he's hiding here, let's go find him."

As the kids crept around the display cases, looking side to side, Dark Pit and Pit were sneaking towards them. "Start moaning," Dark Pit whispered.

"Huh? How?"

"You know, just groan or something. I'll back you up."

"Ah!"

Dark Pit glanced back at Pit, his eyebrow raised. "That was a little too… not like a moan," he said. "Way too breathy."

"Huh? That… wasn't me."

"Must've been one of the twerps," Dark Pit frowned. "Maybe they hear us. Be quiet for a minute."

"Nnnh…"

"Yeah, more like that," Dark Pit said, "but hold off for a second."

"But that wasn't me, Pittoo…"

"Don't call me that!" the clone's black wings bristled. "And what do you mean, that wasn't you? It didn't sound like one of them."

"Nnnh… Nnnah…"

Pit and Dark Pit stared at each other. This time Dark Pit had been watching Pit, and the angel indeed hadn't made a sound. The moaning couldn't have been any of the kids, though; it sounded like an adult male.

Link and Ness were looking at each other, too, though their expressions were less surprised. "It's him," Ness said. "Has to be."

"Aaahn…"

Lucas barely held in a shriek that wanted to escape when something metallic clashed against the stone floor. As the echo subsided, they heard a faint whisper. "He's good…" Toon Link murmured; but then there came another sound. This was a low, almost rumbling growl. The kids all froze. "Wait…" There was no way Dark Pit's voice could sound that deep.

Dark Pit and Pit were also beginning to worry. Watching the kids through a gap in the boxes, they could see that none of them had made these sounds. "M- maybe we should go?" Pit said in a tone more hushed than before.

"No, I wanna find out what that was."

Another echoing clang made the two angels jump. This time, the following whisper was loud enough to decipher: "Shizuka ni shite kudasai…"

"What was that?" Lucas whimpered, his voice almost rising in panic.

"Shh!" Link put a finger to his lips.

The deep voice from before returned. It chased the rafters, reverberating around the room. "There is no need to worry. Now, submit to me…"

That did it. The scream finally escaped Lucas's throat, and he ran for the door, still holding onto Kirby. Link followed, yelping like a wounded dog. Ness stood rooted to the spot as Pit and Dark Pit suddenly burst form behind a stack of crates nearby, taking flight as they were frightened by the deep rumbling voice and Lucas' screech. They also flew through the doorway, retreating down the hall after the other kids.

As the boy turned around, he came face to face with a very disheveled Marth peeking over the crates at the back of the room. One naked shoulder was visible, and the prince's circlet was almost falling out of his hair. Next to him glowed twin yellow orbs, and it took a moment for Ness to recognize the gleam of Meta Knight's mask in the dim light.

"Eheh… Sorry!" Ness laughed suddenly, realizing what had happened. Blushing furiously, he turned on his heel and ran out of the room, closing the door behind him telekinetically.

"I – I suppose we should have checked first…" Marth said. They had warped into the room using Meta Knight's dimensional cape, already absorbed in each other. It was the only surefire way to prevent being seen coming in here.

"I wonder what they were doing in here," Meta Knight mused. "It seems we frightened them."

"Well, they won't be coming back soon." The prince reached over and removed the knight's mask. As always, Meta Knight's arm twitched as if he wanted to bring his cape up to hide his face. Marth smiled, and lay back on the pile of his clothes and cape. "I'm glad you decided to show your face to me," he said. "I'll show you something in return…"

Suddenly interested again, Meta Knight forgot about the scene with the children. He had more important things to attend to… like the naked prince in front of him.

XXXXXX

At breakfast, Pit was talking excitedly with Toon Link and Ness. Lucas was still shaken, though was coming around with reassurance from Ness. Dark Pit refused to talk to anyone, embarrassed by his own cowardice. Ness alone knew the truth, and he wasn't about to tell. It was too funny to see Dark Pit glance warily down the hall every time he passed it.

Pit, on the other hand, was eager to tell everyone about the "ghost" in the item storage room. Most ignored him, though Luigi groaned when he heard the tale. Marth and Meta Knight were as quiet as usual, sitting at the corner of the last table with Roy and Lucina. Ike walked over with his breakfast tray, joining his fellow swordsmen.

"Did you hear about the ghost in the item storage room?" Roy asked. "Pit said they were there last night, and it was moaning and groaning… the whole nine yards, as they say."

Ike smirked, glancing at Marth and Meta Knight, who were focusing on their food a little too intently. "So that's where you two go," he said under his breath. Under the table, Marth kicked him in the shin.

"I think that's ridiculous," Lucina said.

"Maybe we should investigate," Roy suggested, munching on some toast. "I heard Toon Link wants to go back to see if he can find out what it looks like."

Marth and Meta Knight exchanged glances. They would have to find a new hideout.

"Nah, let's just leave it alone," Ike said. "If there is a ghost, maybe it just wants to be by itself. Why should we disturb it?" He glanced at Marth and Meta Knight again, and the masked warrior gave him a slight nod in gratitude.

The subject was changed, and breakfast was enjoyed with no further embarrassment for the two lovers. It would still be a while before they could look Ness in the eye, though.


	4. The Cursed Castle

**In this chapter: Fairytale nonsense, romance, some cursing; if you get bored with the pacing or anything, just skip to the end part. Also, I wrote this under the influence of a bad cold and the medicines required to keep the symptoms to a dull roar. When I went back to proof read this later, I realized I had capitalized all of the pronouns. ^^' I corrected the mistakes, but I might have missed some.**

The Cursed Castle

Once upon a time, there lived a merchant and his two children. He was a hardworking man, but very strict; and he brought up his children to adhere to stringent moral codes of honor. It was often said in Altea that the merchant's family was as close to royalty as the little town could get. There had been a lord overseeing the land once, but nobody knew what had happened to him or his castle. The merchant himself often saw to political affairs, and so the villagers took to affectionately calling his children Prince and Princess.

Both were fair and even tempered, being as agreeable as any young people could be. However, the son was a gentle young man who loved to study swordplay as an art form rather than as a way to kill. It was well known that he avoided hunting, much to his father's irritation. The merchant could be an unforgiving man, and he wanted his son to be as hard as he was. The boy was a young man of honor, though. His sister was lame, having been injured as a child. The son had sworn himself as her protector, despite his youth. Together the two were inseparable, and got along famously.

One day the merchant decided that he'd had enough of living like a commoner, wealthy though he was. "I will find the old castle," he said to his children, "and we shall become the new nobility here. We already hold an exalted position in this village, and it is high time we lived a life befitting us."

The daughter begged her father not to go, but his son swore to look after the business while he was away. "If you must go, do so knowing that your affairs are taken care of." The young man wasn't very keen on living in a castle – especially one that had been lost to the ages, and was rumored to be haunted. However, he would follow his father's wishes no matter what. He was also glad to remain by his sister's side.

The merchant set out along the forest road, his horse made ready for a long journey. The castle was rumored to be nearby, but there was no telling how long it would take the merchant to find it. He traveled until the road branched off into an overgrown path, and found it increasingly difficult to navigate through the underbrush. However, his sword was sharp and his lantern burned bright; he found his way soon to a new path that he had never seen before.

The way was long and hard. As night fell, a terrible storm arose. Still he pressed on, undeterred, dreaming of the life of luxury he and his children would have once he found the castle. He would use some of his stored money to hire a few servants and a cook. Whatever the condition of the castle, he was sure there were valuable things to be found inside. The old tales said that the lord had vacated quickly, leaving everything behind. As the castle had become nearly impossible to locate, he was certain it remained relatively untouched.

Though he had only an old map and some stories to guide him, the merchant found the castle just after midnight. He was surprised by how easy it had been. Smiling to himself, he rode through the open iron gate and took in the grounds. There wasn't much to see on a stormy night like this, but he could barely make out a path leading to what looked like a large garden. Dismounting his horse and leaving it tied near the gate, he found the main entrance and tried the door. Both doors flew wide open with one push, to his surprise, and he hastened to get out of the driving wind and rain.

He walked into pitch darkness, but as he crossed the threshold a hundred wall sconces suddenly flared to life. The merchant stepped back, drawing his sword, as he surveyed the huge foyer and the sweeping staircase ahead. There was no movement, though, and so he boldly advanced towards an open doorway to the right.

In this room was a cozy fireplace, which was already roaring merrily despite there not having been any light coming from this room seconds before. Set before the fire was a plush armchair and a footstool. Seeing nobody else around, the merchant sheathed his weapon and dared to sit in the chair.

He had heard of benevolent spirits easing the weary traveler's burdens with warmth and food. He had also heard of tricksters lulling unwary humans into comfortable compliance before devouring them. Both were a possibility here, and he kept his hand on the hilt of his weapon as he reached for the cup of tea that was suddenly at his elbow. He highly doubted that the castle sensed its new master had arrived, and he expected to take it only after a fight – but with what, he couldn't say.

Presently there was a noise behind him, and he leapt to his feet with his sword ready. But when he looked around, all he saw was a little creature that barely came up to his shin. The thing was perfectly round but for four stubby limbs, and it had wide, blue eyes that looked up at him curiously.

"Who are you?" the merchant demanded, pointing his sword at it.

"Poyo?" it said, tilting to the side a bit.

Apparently it didn't speak, and it looked to be harmless enough. The merchant sheathed his weapon and glared down at it. "Go on, get out of here," he said, waving it away. He just wanted to rest a bit.

"Poyo!" Instead of leaving, the creature hopped up into the chair waved at him.

"What in blazes do you want?" the merchant asked, annoyed and a little wary. The creature leapt back onto the floor and waddled towards the door, turning back as if to beckon him.

With great misgivings but a little curious, He followed the creature. It led him back through the entryway, to the opposite end of the hall, and finally into a grand dining room. Along the way, the merchant couldn't help but notice the place looked clean and well-kept. The red carpets were plush under his feet, and gold gleamed on the candelabras and framed paintings. He didn't think this diminutive creature could be responsible for keeping the entire castle clean, but perhaps it was the magic that had lit the candles and the fireplace.

The creature brought Him to the head seat at the table, and from somewhere behind him there came a cart rolling by itself. He watched, astonished, as plates flew off the cart by themselves, silver covers lifting to reveal a mouthwatering feast. He picked up the fork that slid onto the table, but as soon as he raised it a great breeze picked up. He looked up – the pink creature was literally inhaling everything on the table, plates and all.

"Hey!" The merchant didn't yet feel as if he owned the place, but he knew that the food had been meant for him. He stood and kicked the creature away, causing it to cry out in pain. It looked up at him, eyes watering, and he reared back to kick it again.

Suddenly there was a sound like the crack of thunder, and he found himself sprawled on the floor with a splitting pain in his head. When he was able to raise up on his elbows, he saw what looked like a monster standing between him and the pink creature. This one was round as well, but larger – perhaps about waist-high. It wore a silver mask over its face, and the eyes glaring out from the visor glowed like yellow coals. It held a golden sword, jagged on the edges and wickedly sharp.

"Wha- What are you?" The merchant demanded, reaching for his sword. The creature dashed forward and kicked the pommel, sending the weapon skidding across the room.

"I am the guardian of this castle," it said. Its voice was deep and frightening to hear. "And you are trespassing."

"The door opened for me!" The merchant protested. "That thing led me here, where I was offered food! What sort of trickery is this?"

"You were given a chance, like many others. You failed to prove yourself worthy. And so, you will remain here, not as lord and master, but as a servant."

It was the last thing the merchant heard before darkness overtook him.

OOOOOO

When The merchant' horse returned without him, everyone in the village began talking of how foolish he had been. "He met with bandits," some said, or, "Wolves got to him." A few said that he had succeeded in finding the castle, and that his failure to return proved the old legends were true. "Nobody ever comes back from there," they said.

The boy was not convinced, though. He felt that his father was alive somewhere, perhaps stranded somewhere or imprisoned. Despite the warnings from the villagers, he chose to set out on his own to find out what had happened. The girl was left in the care of a family friend, but she was proud of Her brother's courage.

"Pegasus will guide me," He said to his sister on the morning of his departure. "She knows the way."

Indeed, she did. As The boy followed the same path his father had taken, he found that the white horse was inclined to take certain trails despite his gentle pulling on the reigns. Trusting her, he allowed her to set their course and only intervened when she seemed to grow confused by the forest closing in around them.

When he reached the castle gate, the moon was high in the sky. He could see a cobbled path leading to a large arching door directly in line with the main gate. The castle itself, though mostly hidden in shadow from the moonlight glowing above it, seemed in good repair. Though ivy and thorny vines grew untamed on the outside of the stone wall, the castle grounds proper were immaculately groomed. He could see red and white roses growing on either side of the path, climbing iron trellises that glistened in the moonlight. As he tied Pegasus to one of the posts near the gate, he had to stop and marvel at the beauty around him.

"I'll be back," he told the horse, and walked up the path to the front door. When he raised his hand to knock, though, the heavy oak doors opened. He stood back, startled to find that no servants were present. There were no guards. Nobody had opened the doors for him.

He knew then that the place was enchanted, though for good or evil he wasn't sure. However, he was certain his father had found his way here. Whether he was still here remained to be seen. Bolstering his courage, the boy stepped inside and watched as the doors closed behind him.

"Hello!" he called, hearing his voice echo in the vaulted ceiling above. The foyer was well lit, indicating someone was here. He half expected to see his father walking down the staircase, a glass of wine in hand and an admonishment for being late at the ready. Instead, silence greeted him. A fire was crackling somewhere in another room, and a large grandfather clock ticked away on the far wall. Other than that, there was nothing to indicate the presence of life.

He shivered, feeling the weight of his damp clothes – the forest had been misty and cold, and he'd been traveling all day and night. "Hello!" he tried again, and again was met with no response. Sighing, unsure of what else to do, he stepped toward an open doorway to the right from which light was pooling on the marble floor.

"Ah!" he cried out and stumbled back when something flew out of the room, bobbing along the floor and coming to a stop in front of him. It was a small pink creature, round in shape and looking as startled as the boy was. Feeling a little silly, he smiled at the thing and knelt down. "You frightened me, little one," he said. "Do you live here?"

"Poyo?" It looked up at him with wide eyes, seemingly confused.

"Where is the master of the house?" he asked, though he wasn't sure if it could understand him. "Is he here? I'm here to find my father. I believe he may have come here."

"Poyo..." The pink thing tilted its head – face? He wasn't sure, but it looked like it was thinking. Then it smiled at him, and took off into the foyer. "Oyopoyo!" it called, and He followed it.

"Do you have a name?" he asked as the creature led him into a large dining room. "Ah… what a grand place. You don't live here by yourself, do you? What a large house for someone so small…" He wasn't sure why he was talking to this thing, but one couldn't be choosy about the company they kept when intruding in an enchanted castle. The creature led him to the table, and pointed with its stubby little arm to the head chair.

"Ah, thank you…" He took off his damp cloak and draped it across a nearby chair, then took his seat. Soon he was being served the same repast that his father had been given. "Is this for me?" he asked as the dishes were uncovered.

"Poyo!"

"Well, then… thank you." Just like his father, he took up the fork that had been given to him; and just like with his father, the pink thing opened its mouth and inhaled everything.

The boy blinked, staring at where the food had been seconds before. Then he laughed. "You have quite the appetite, don't you?" he said, and the creature hopped up into a chair. Another round of plates was set out, and this time the boy was allowed to eat undeterred. "Do you want any more?" he asked, offering some chicken which was sucked up as quickly as the first course. As soon as a plate was emptied, though, the cart returned to place more food in front of the young man. Though he shared everything with the pink creature, he was able to eat more than his fill.

"Ah… that was amazing…" He sighed, sitting back and watching as the creature finished off what was left. "You really are a bottomless pit!" He couldn't help but laugh as the creature rolled onto its back and let out a little sigh of its own. "You must thank your master for me. No doubt he's behind all this… though I wish I could but meet him. I really need to find out what happened to my father."

"Poyopo!" the pink creature rolled off of the chair and waddled to the dining room entrance, standing by as if looking for something down the hallway. He was about to follow when another creature entered, wearing metal pauldrons and a deep purple cape wrapped around itself. This creature was larger than the pink one, and its yellow eyes gleamed from behind a menacing-looking metal mask. The boy stood, feeling as if he'd been cornered.

"H- hello," he said, a little intimidated. The being was only about half his height, but it looked fearsome.

"Good evening," it said in a deep voice unbefitting its appearance. Its tone was polite, though, and the boy relaxed a bit. "I am the guardian of this castle, a knight bound to this place by the oath I swore to the old king."

"Ah, sorry," the boy bowed, unsure of what he should do. "I came here looking for my father, and this… ah…" he glanced at the pink creature.

"This is the last servant remaining," The Knight said. "He is my pupil, you could say."

"Ah, well, he led me here. I did not mean to impose…"

"You are a guest here," The knight said, "and you are welcome. Your father, however, proved that he was not worthy. He now serves this castle."

"He- he serves the castle?" The boy stepped forward. "He's imprisoned here? Please, let me speak with him."

"I cannot do that," The knight said. "You see, this castle has no master at present. We have been waiting for someone worthy to come, but thus far we have seen nothing but greed and cruelty." He glanced at the child, who blinked up at him in curiosity. "Those who are not worthy are turned away or imprisoned here."

"Please, he has a company to run. My sister is incapable of caring for herself, and I am not competent to run the trade routes by myself!"

"That is unfortunate, but I cannot undo the spell," The knight said. "You may remain here for the night, and in the morning, you will be allowed to leave."

"Sir, please, I have to bring him back!" The boy stepped closer, holding himself erect and staring directly into the glowing eyes. "If my father's partners get hold of the company, they will repossess our house and we will be homeless. Please, if you have any pity in you…!"

"No," The knight said firmly. "Once the castle has claimed someone, it will not allow that spot to go vacant."

"Then take me instead!" His heart was pounding, the reality of the situation sinking in. He had to find a way to free his father, or his sister would be turned out on the street. He knew there were people in the village willing to help them, but his father was not well liked despite holding great influence over the town. It was his money that swayed the people's minds, not his personality. The boy was only seventeen, and had just begun to learn his father's trade. He knew he would never be able to provide for His sister the way their father could.

The knight seemed to regard the young man for a moment. "Is this a serious proposal?" he asked.

"Yes. If I can take my father's place, then please allow me to do it!"

"You would be trapped in the castle for the rest of your life," the knight said. "Many have perished here, never again seeing their loved ones or their homes. Would you accept the same fate, to free a man who would strike a child?"

The boy hesitated. How could the knight have known about that? His father was a strict disciplinarian, but nobody outside their home knew that he could get violent when angered. He didn't know that the knight had meant the child. "I have a duty to my father," he said. "But more importantly, I must protect my sister. She… she is now crippled, because of my foolishness… She saved me from a young death, and now I must save her from a slow one." He fell to his knees before the knight, bowing his head. "Please, sir… Please take me instead. Free my father and allow him to return. Please…"

"Very well, if that is what you wish. Come with me."

The young man rose and followed The Knight into the foyer, up the stairs, and down a long hallway. At least he wasn't being led to the dungeon, he thought, as they passed gigantic paintings framed in gilded wood. Golden candelabras lit themselves as the two walked past them. The boy was led to a sumptuously furnished room in hues of dark and light blue. Dark wood furniture contrasted with crisp white sheets and pillows on the bed. It may have been a modestly sized room for a castle, but it was much larger than his room back at home.

"This is to be your bedroom," The Knight said. "Rest here for the night. Your father will be sent home now."

"May I see him before he leaves?" The boy hoped to send a message along with him, so His sister wouldn't worry about him. The knight shook his head, though.

"Sleep well," he said, and closed the door as he exited the room.

The boy was now left alone to fully contemplate the situation. He sat down on the bed, which was sinfully plush, but which did nothing to calm the storm raging inside him. He would never see his sister again. He would never see his father again. He would never see his friends, his village, or anything else he held dear. Who knew what sorts of things he would have to do?

He felt determined to accept his fate as it was, and to remember for whom he was doing this. Still, he found sleep difficult to attain. His future was now uncertain, and he felt disconcerted in this strange place. Feeling as if he was being watched, he fell into a troubled sleep just as the moon was beginning to sink towards the horizon.

OOOOOO

When He awoke, it was already broad daylight. The child was standing on the bed beside him, smiling and appearing well at ease. "Ah… What time is it?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes, peering out the window at a bright and cloudless sky.

"Poyo!" The child said, hopping off the bed and waddling towards the wardrobe. "Poyopopo!"

He opened the wardrobe, and found it full of clothing in just his size. "Amazing…" he murmured, fingering velvet and fine crisp linen. There were several styles and colors offered, but he chose an outfit in tones of blue. Glancing at the child, he retreated behind the folding screen to change out of his travel-worn clothes from the day before. With the new outfit fitting him perfectly, he walked back out and asked, "How do I look?"

"Yopoyo!" The child clapped his little arms together and then opened the door, motioning for the captive to follow. The young man was led downstairs again, back to the dining room, where there waited an appetizing breakfast of all sorts of delicacies. He ate very little, though, feeling uneasy and a little afraid.

"Where is Sir Knight?" he asked the child, who seemed to shrug as he inhaled an entire plate of sticky buns. "I suppose he'll tell me what I am to do. Perhaps he'll allow me to go outside. I could tend the garden, if he likes."

But the knight did not appear all day. The boy began to worry, wondering what had become of the armored creature. Testing the doors revealed that he was allowed outside, at least for the moment; but his horse was gone, and the iron gate would not open. He wandered about the garden for a while, admiring the early autumn foliage, and noticed that the falling leaves never seemed to gather for very long. They just seemed to disappear.

All day he was left to himself, with the child as his only companion. He supposed the creature was lonely, as he seemed to want to play all the time. The boy was glad for the company, though. Watching The child bounce a ball up and down, or splash about in the fountain, lifted his mood somewhat. Lunch was served to them outside, and as evening wore on the boy returned to the castle to explore the interior.

The dining room and his own bedroom were well known to him now, but he wanted to see what else the castle had to offer. It wasn't long before he found a library on the first floor, spanning two full stories of height. He took some time to browse the seemingly infinite collection of books before wandering back out, intending to return later. He discovered the kitchen, a drawing room with a large piano, and what appeared to have been a throne room.

It was this room alone that was in disrepair, and in fact it appeared to have been purposefully ruined. The throne itself had long been destroyed, lying in splinters and scraps around the floor. A circular emblem on the wall behind it was marred as to be unrecognizable. Paintings had been slashed, their canvasses flapping in the draft like bat wings. There were even burn marks on the red carpet, which was now threadbare and patched with age.

"This place is off-limits." He nearly jumped as the deep voice echoed around the room. He had to look around for a bit before he saw the burning yellow eyes of the castle's guardian. The knight was up in the rafters, looking down at him.

"Sorry, I didn't know." The young man backed away, edging towards the door. To his astonishment the knight leapt from the beam he'd been standing on, his cape becoming an enormous set of bat-like wings that carried him to the ground with ease. Once his feet were on the floor, the wings became a cape that was securely wrapped around him again.

"You deserve no punishment," The Knight said, walking towards him. "You had no way of knowing, and it seems the child has wandered off. However, in the future, you would do well to avoid this place."

"What happened here?" The boy looked around at the devastation, the scorched carpet, the mangled candelabras on the walls.

"Our previous master was not popular. His servants defiled this place in anger after he fled."

"The old king?" The symbol on the wall did resemble the mark of the old regime, now that He looked closely at it. "I've heard legends, but… that was supposed to have happened hundreds of years ago. Surely you have not been here that long."

"Things are not always as they appear," the knight said, and the boy thought for a moment that his eyes had taken on a green hue. "I have been here a very, very long time."

"Why did the old king run away?"

"He was a coward." The knight seemed to drop the subject after that, holding out his hand to indicate that the boy should leave. He closed the heavy doors behind them as they entered the hallway. "You may explore the rest of the castle. I will join you for dinner."

"Sir Knight, I've been wondering… what is my role here? What am I to do?" When he turned to look down at The Knight, though, the boy found himself quite alone.

The next few days passed in this manner. He saw The Knight only at dinner, when the armored creature would join him for conversation and a light meal (The boy was surprised to see that he never ate nearly as much as the child, and only slipped food under his mask). The two questions the boy wanted answered most, concerning the castle's history and his own role as a servant there, were never answered. Instead, the knight would engage him in debates, discussing any topic under the sun. The boy found that he looked forward to dinnertimes. Despite his misgivings, he began to feel at ease in the castle.

After a few days, the young man found a little area outside that had been used by guards for training. He delighted in practicing swordplay with the swords provided, and one day he was surprised to find The Knight waiting for him. They exchanged few words then, sparring until the sun went down. After that, it became another daily ritual – one that the boy anticipated even more than dinner. Though He was no slouch with the blade, The Knight was on another level entirely. He found it an endless challenge to best the knight, and one that he took to wholeheartedly.

Spending time with The Knight became the highlight of every day, and He realized that it was the same for The Knight. There was a strange look of longing in the others' eyes whenever they parted for the day. What could it mean, though? He would often find himself thinking of the knight, lost in daydreams of what he looked like under that mask… Then he would snap himself back to reality, and berate himself for even thinking things like that. How could he ever think of the knight as anything more than a friend, or perhaps a benevolent guardian?

Weeks turned into months, and soon winter was upon them. The boy was startled one day to find snow on the ground. "Has it been so long already?" he asked the child, who could only look up at him curiously. He wondered if his father had found his way back. He wondered if His sister was well. Burdened with thoughts of home and family, he became sadder and sadder.

One day The Knight took him aside after the day's practice. "Something troubles you," he said.

The boy felt that he could hide nothing from the knight, nor would he want to. "I miss my home," he said. "I worry about my sister, and I hope she's all right. I just have no way to know…"

The Knight didn't reply, but left the young man alone. At dinner, he seemed quieter than usual. The boy wondered if he'd offended the knight somehow.

Finally, The Knight said, "Would you like to return to your home?"

"What?"

"If you could go back home, would you?"

The boy honestly didn't know. He was having such a wonderful time here, but he worried about his sister. At last he said, "Yes. If only for a little while."

The knight fell silent again, before asking, "What do you think of me?"

"What is there to say?" The boy looked down at his half-eaten plate of food. "I appreciate your company. You have been more than kind to me."

"Even though I am a monster?"

"You're no monster, Sir Knight."

"If I allowed you to leave, would you promise to return to me?"

The boy looked up then, locking gazes with the knight. He felt his cheeks grow hot as the intense stare searched him. "Yes," he said. "I would return."

"Then I will give you one week," The Knight said. "You may return to your home. Visit your relatives. Only return on the seventh day."

The boy was overjoyed to hear this, and he leapt to his feet to throw his arms around the knight. The following morning, he was given a new traveling cloak and the sword he often practiced with. A horse was saddled for him. The Knight saw him to the gate, offering him a package wrapped in silk cloth. "This is a mirror with which you can see everything happening here," he said. "Use it whenever you wish to communicate with me. I will answer. And this," he pushed something small and metallic into the boy's other hand, "is a ring. Wear it, and you will find your way back. Those who leave here may never return, unless guided."

The young man wanted to embrace the knight, but he felt that would be overstepping his bounds. Instead taking the gloved hands in his and promising to return at the end of the week, he set out on the forest path. He found the way to be much easier than he remembered, and he found the village before sunset. With a light heart, he sped toward his home.

He found his father and sister in good health, and both were elated to see him again. The girl was reluctant to release her hold on him, and even his father hugged him affectionately. The boy spent the next few days catching up with them, telling them all that had happened at the castle.

However, the merchant wasn't happy at all to hear of how welcome his son had been at the place that nearly claimed his life. He grew discontent, furious that he had been cheated out of owning the castle. When he heard that His son was to return, he was even more troubled.

"Son, why don't we all return together?" The merchant said. "We can overthrow this guardian beast."

"He is no beast," The boy said indignantly. "I will not raise my sword against him."

"See here, you have a duty to your family first and foremost! You will lead me back to that castle, and you will help me claim it!"

The boy refused, saying that he had promised to return alone. Hearing this, the merchant's' rage emerged. He seized his son and took the ring from the chain around his neck, throwing him into the cellar and locking the door. He then set out to find the castle again, intent on slaying the knight and taking over as lord.

The boy tried to break out, but the door was firm against his shoulder. He pulled out the mirror and called for The Knight, but the only one who appeared was the child. "Poyo!" the little one seemed frantic about something. He leaned against the other mirror, shaking it in its frame. "Poyoyoyoyoyoyo!"

"The child, where is Sir Knight?"

"Poyo!"

"You must bring him here! I need to speak with him, now!"

The child lifted the mirror off the wall and waddled out the door with it, giving Him a view of the ceiling as he ran to the front door. The sky became visible, and then the scene shifted as the mirror was set upright again. The garden came into view. The boy gasped, almost dropping his mirror. There in the garden, under a rose trellis, lay The Knight.

"NO! Sir Knight, what happened?" There was no way His father could have reached the castle so quickly. Something else had to be the matter. Determined now to get out, He set about undoing the hinges on the door.

"Brother?" His sister's voice came from the other side of the door. "Brother, are you in there? What happened?" She had just returned from her daily walk.

"Sister, stand back! I'm taking the door down!"

"Wait," she said, and there was the sound of her cane scratching on the floorboards as she hobbled away. The boy waited, leaning against the door, his heart pounding. Presently there came a clamor on the other end of the cellar, and with a crash Pegasus' hooves came through the hatch doors. His sister was holding onto the horse, trying desperately not to fall off. "Climb on!" she cried.

The boy wasted no time in mounting the horse and helping his sister down safely. With an urgent nudge and the click of his tongue, Pegasus was off through the village road and back to the forest.

Without the ring, He knew he had very little chance of finding the castle again. He had to try, though. Focusing with all his might on The Knight, he drove the horse through the woods and down dark trails. Several times he thought he was lost, but fear and anger urged him onward. He reached the castle just as evening was giving way to night.

"Son!"

The young man halted, almost falling off the horse. His father was standing at the gate, his sword drawn. The boy dismounted, his hand on the hilt of his own weapon. "Father, you can't do this," he said. "Please, step aside. I need to get in."

"The gate is shut, but it won't be for long," The merchant said. "I'm taking what is rightfully mine."

"Father, this is not your castle. Step aside!" The boy was thinking only of The Knight, lying ill or injured in the garden beyond.

"Are you going to stop me?" The merchant smirked, turning back to the gate and hoisting himself up to climb it. "Son, you've never once been able to fight for what is right. Now you wish to fight, but you're on the wrong side. Don't you see I'm trying to make a better life for you and your sister?"

The boy wanted to shout at him, wanted to take his sword and cleave him in half. Their father had always taken care of them, but only because it was his duty to. The merchant was the type of man who saw people as nothing more than assets. The boy had always been, in his eyes, a poor investment.

Steel sang against steel as the boy held out his sword, the tip aimed directly at His father. "Father, back away now."

"You dare…!"

The clash came suddenly, and the boy was surprised by his own ferocity. The merchant was an accomplished swordsman, but the boy had been practicing with a warrior who had hundreds of years of experience under his belt. He soon gained the advantage, and managed to pin his father down with one foot on his chest.

"Why are you doing this? Do you really want this castle all to yourself?"

"No, I want to protect those who live here."

"You mean that warrior? Why?"

"I… I love him!"

Silence descended heavily, leaving only the breeze and Pegasus' nervous snorting. The boy's gaze never wavered. His father looked up at him, rage and disgust battling for a place in his expression. "You love… You're in love with… With… THAT?" He spluttered, seemingly unable to make his mouth work properly.

"I don't want this castle," The boy said. "I don't want to be lord and master here. But I will take it, if I can, just to protect him and the child. I will not allow you to have it. Give me the ring, or I'll cut it off of you."

For the first time in his life, the merchant felt the power of his son's words. He looked into the young man's eyes, and he knew then that his son was serious. Speechless, numb, he fumbled with his hands and threw the ring at his son's feet.

"Now go."

"You're insane…" The merchant murmured. "You must have been bewitched. That has to be it! He's got you under a spell!"

"Go!"

Barely able to stand, stumbling back, the merchant reached his horse and climbed onto its back. As it ran down the path, through the woods, the man was looking back at his son with wide and almost frightened eyes. The boy watched him go, made sure he was out of sight, and then turned and sheathed his blade.

He raced through the gates that opened before him, dashing towards the garden. There was no sign of the knight, though. "Sir Knight!" he cried, looking all around. "Sir Knight, where are you?"

"My Lord," a deep voice reached the young man's ears, and he looked up to see the knight standing on the garden wall. He came to kneel in front of the boy, one silver gauntleted hand held to his chest.

"S- Sir Knight!"

The man stood and gazed up at the boy. Through the slit in the mask, golden yellow eyes flashed blue. "You have broken the curse on this place."

"What curse?"

"The curse that has bound us for three hundred years. The curse brought onto us by the old king and his greed. I thank you."

"But… but you were…" he flushed, confused. "I saw you lying there…"

"Your absence was… hard on me. I hadn't realized how much it would affect me."

"But now you're…"

"Three hundred years ago, the king turned away a sorceress seeking shelter in the rain. She cursed all of us, punishing us for his wickedness. We were to remain trapped here until someone worthy came along to possess the castle. Only one who is free of greed and selfishness could break the spell. And now… you have claimed it."

"Just like that?"

"You showed yourself worthy when you first came here. It was yours to take as you wished."

The boy smiled, and reached out to take the knight's hand in both of his. "I'm glad you're all right. When I saw you in the mirror, I… I didn't know what to do."

"The curse bound me to the castle grounds. Had I departed, I would have died; and when you left, so did a part of me."

The boy blushed, realizing what the knight meant by those words. Before he could reply, though, something collided with his legs.

"Poyo!"

"Ah, hello!" He bent down to pick the child up. "I'm glad to see you, too!"

"Pyopyo!"

"So… What happens now?" the boy asked as the child settled in his arms, leaning against his shoulder.

"You are the lord here now," the knight said. "That is your decision."

"I only said that to keep my father from taking over. I… I don't know that I'm fit to be the master here."

"There is strength in one who desires to protect others."

The boy blushed from the intensity of the knight's gaze. He almost dropped the child when the knight brought his fingers up to caress the young man's face. "Sir Knight…"

The boy became the new lord of the castle, and the path to the village was cleared. The previous king had stored up a great deal of treasure, and the lord used this money to improve the roads and various things around town. Without taxes being paid into the community, commerce and other things had deteriorated. Some complained that there were now taxes to be paid, but most saw the benefits of this system. Over time, the village of Altea would become a prosperous town.

His sister was brought to the castle, and lived there happily with her brother as his adviser. They certainly never wanted for company; the invisible servants who had been cursed were now free, and many stayed on to work for the new master and mistress.

When the boy and the knight began to share a bedchamber, his sister didn't mind. She and her brother and the knight and the child all lived as one family, happily ever after.

OOOOOO

"What kind of story was that?"

Marth blushed, snatching the leather-bound notebook from Meta Knight. "It took a week to write it," he said.

"You rewrote Beauty and the Beast," Meta Knight said.

"I added a lot to it."

"There wasn't enough action, and the romance was almost nonexistent. I felt that you could not decide what kind of story you wanted it to be."

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Marth turned and shoved the book into his backpack.

"You asked me to appraise it."

Marth shouldered his bag and walked out of the library, Meta Knight following. "So, you think I should not enter it?"

"It needs work, that is all. The ending was very weak."

"Fine, I won't enter."

"For someone supposedly so humble, your pride is easily wounded," Meta Knight chuckled. "I didn't think it was bad."

"What did you like about it, then?"

"The knight was my favorite."

"Well, what really matters is whether or not Piichi-hime likes it…" The princess was always looking for something to do, and a fairytale contest had been her latest project.

"One question, though," Meta Knight said after they had walked to the courtyard. "I expected the knight to transform in the end. Was he not a human under a curse?"

"I was going to have that happen, but... I liked him the way he was." Marth was glad for the height difference, as Meta Knight couldn't see him blush.

"Then perhaps you are not as shallow as some believe."

"Who thinks that of me?" Marth's steps halted. He looked stunned, and Meta Knight laughed to himself.

"Nobody," he said, walking onward as the prince followed, flustered.


	5. Bedtime for a Warrior

**In this chapter: choose your flavor, romance or friendship; fluff, feels, Kirby being mischievous; AU where Marth comes to live in Dreamland for a while (because why the flip not?)**

Bedtime for a Warrior

"Poyo!" A cheerful squeal startled a group of birds away from the bushes, and Meta Knight looked up from his book. Kirby was running towards him, waving his chubby little arms and giggling as Marth chased after him.

"Kaabii-chan, koko ni kite! Come back!" The prince looked a little winded. Despite Marth's long legs, Kirby's boundless energy made him difficult to keep up with for an extended period of time.

As Kirby passed Meta Knight, the warrior threw out the edge of his cape so it caught the child. Spinning around with a shriek of joy, Kirby was turned back around and finally caught up in Marth's arms. "A- arigatou, Metanaito-kyou," Marth panted, holding the squirming toddler firmly. "I have a meeting soon, so I really need him to behave today."

"Poyo!" To Kirby, it was just another game. Meta Knight smiled under his mask, his eyes flashing magenta.

"If you're having trouble with him, perhaps I could assist."

"Would you?" The prince seemed all too relieved to hear this, and he leaned down to hand the toddler over to Meta Knight. "I have to go to the castle now, or I'll be late. Would you take him back to the house, and see that he's taken care of?"

"Yes, my prince." The knight hefted the child and spread his wings out. "When do you expect to return?"

"It's going to be a little late…" Marth sighed. "King Dedede is making all sorts of demands, and it's going to take a while to convince him that he's being unreasonable. It always does."

"Very well. Leave him to me."

"Thank you! It's already late, so please make sure he eats dinner. You may need to put him to bed, too." Marth patted Kirby on the head and smiled at Meta Knight in that shy way he always did.

Meta Knight took to the air, much to the boy's delight. Since coming to live here after leaving the throne to his sister, Marth had taken Kirby under his wing, so to speak. Originally his goal had been to stay only temporarily, to train with Meta Knight. Instead, he had grown to love this country and its people – particularly Kirby. The prince now treated the young Star Warrior like his own child. Meta Knight was grateful for this, as he now didn't have to worry about the boy's welfare. Still, he sometimes felt like they got to spend less time together as a result of Marth's coddling. The prince had once revealed that his late father was very strict with him, and he seemed determined to make up for that by doting on Kirby.

It was a little ridiculous that a Star Warrior such as Kirby would be treated so delicately, but he was still very young. Perhaps some babying wasn't such an awful thing every now and then. Meta Knight looked down at the little boy, who was watching the ground below them. Soon they came to Marth's house, which was on the edge of Pupu Village, near the seashore.

"Poyo!" Kirby laughed as they touched down, and Meta Knight set him on the ground so he could herd the child back into the house.

"You should go inside, perhaps take a nap while I prepare dinner," he said. This didn't seem like too difficult a suggestion; in fact, Kirby was always ready to take a nap. The child had other plans, though, and he completely ignored Meta Knight as he waddled around the house. Meta Knight followed, grabbing the boy's hand before he could reach the sandbox in the side yard. "Kirby, go on inside."

"Poyooo…" Kirby frowned, following Meta Knight to the door, but yanked his hand away and dashed towards the tree growing in the front yard. He looked back at Meta Knight, smiling, as if expecting to be chased.

"Kirby, I'm serious," Meta Knight said patiently. "Come here."

"Po- poyo- yo- n- no!" With some difficulty, Kirby managed to say the newest word he had learned. He giggled, clapping his chubby hands together as he repeated it. "No! Noyonoyonoyo!"

"Kirby…" The knight sighed. Apparently, this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd thought. He walked towards the child, who bounced his way up the tree trunk and stopped to look down from a low branch. Meta Knight spread his wings again, and took off. He grabbed Kirby as he ascended, circled the house once – with Kirby laughing all the way – and landed in front of the door. This time he carried the boy inside, taking him to the little bed with the star-patterned blanket.

"Stay," he commanded, plopping the pink ball onto the bed as he walked to the kitchen. He was going through the pantry, gathering things to throw into the soup pot – how dare Sword and Blade say he couldn't cook? – when Kirby appeared beside him.

"Poyo!"

"Are you hungry? Go sit down and I'll have something ready in a bit."

Kirby didn't want to sit down, though. He waddled to the cabinet and got out a sack of flour, obviously intent on helping out. "What did I say?" Meta Knight asked, taking the flour from the child and pushing him away from the counter. "A warrior who doesn't listen soon finds himself in trouble."

"Poyo…" Kirby sat down on the floor, looking up at Meta Knight with a pout. "Poyoyo… Oyo…"

"None of that. As a Star Warrior, you should be ashamed to be so insubordinate." The knight turned back to his task, and soon the smell of burning food filled the house. He coughed a little as he cleared away the smoke, cursing under his breath.

"Pyo- Pyam… Doyam… Dammit!"

He turned to see Kirby playing with a little wooden car, cheerfully repeating the new word he'd picked up.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

Something told Meta Knight that Marth would not be happy about this. "Why can you not pick up the words you need to learn?" He set a plate of smoldering meat and potatoes onto the table, and stood back to allow Kirby to eagerly climb into the chair. "Honor. Valor. Victory! Repeat those words. They are your code."

"Dammit!"

Meta Knight sighed, leaping up to sit at the other chair. "Never mind… Just do not repeat that around the prince."

Sunset was wearing on, and Meta Knight watched the sky change color through the kitchen window. Kirby ate everything in front of him, and the knight smugly vowed to remember to bring that up to his squires when he next saw them (never mind that Kirby would eat just about anything). However, it seemed as if there hadn't been enough to fill the child's raging appetite. Once he had eaten everything that had been prepared, he started looking around as if expecting more to appear.

"That is all you get," Meta Knight said. "A true warrior never over-indulges."

"Po- poyo…" Large, teary eyes looked over at him as Kirby realized dinner was over.

"If you are still hungry, perhaps you need to earn the right to eat more. Come with me."

His dissatisfaction forgotten, the child followed Meta Knight outside. The sky was now a deep shade of purple, with only a few orange and pink clouds left to reflect the dying sunlight. Meta Knight led Kirby to the back of the house, where Marth had set up a small training area. Kirby's wooden practice sword was hung next to Marth's larger one, and Meta Knight motioned toward the little weapon. "Take up your sword," he said, drawing Galaxia from its sheath. "Face me!"

Kirby had been training, it seemed, but from watching him with Marth it was obvious that the prince was far too easy on his young charge. Meta Knight intended to provide a real challenge, to test the little warrior's mettle. Kirby was eager to spar, also. He held his sword perfectly, his expression determined.

Just as Meta Knight swung Galaxia high in the air, there came a trembling crash that shook the ground beneath them. They both turned to see a huge beast, like a pile of rocks, lumbering towards them. Meta Knight turned to Kirby, who was staring at it curiously. Perhaps this would be enough of a challenge for today. "Kirby, you know what to do," he said, and the little warrior nodded.

No doubt the king had arranged to have Marth away from the house so that this beast could take on Kirby. Meta Knight watched as Kirby ran towards the monster, and shook his head as his copy ability was tried and failed. Hadn't he learned from previous battles? This thing was as big as a house, and compiled of what looked like brown stone. Its roar was like rocks grating together, and Kirby was dwarfed in comparison. Meta Knight grabbed one of the iron practice swords from its bracket, intent on throwing it to Kirby to inhale, but suddenly the boy began running towards the sea.

By now a crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about. He heard Fumu and Bun shouting, running towards Kirby from the opposite side of the hill as the monster bore down on them. Meta Knight took off, hovering nearby in case he was needed. It was always difficult to sit back and watch events unfold, but he knew that Kirby would never learn to be strong on his own if he had someone there to constantly rescue him. Still, when things got too dangerous, Meta Knight would swoop in and fight. He wasn't about to let the child be killed.

This didn't seem like a situation in which he was needed, but he wondered if perhaps he should offer some guidance. Kirby was passing up everything that might be useful to him, instead running straight to the water. When he opened his mouth and began sucking up torrents of sea water, Meta Knight chuckled to himself. He knew what the boy was doing now, and it was pretty clever of him.

As the monster drew closer, Kirby turned and released all the water he had stored up. The beast stumbled, fell back a little, and then kept going forward. Kirby leapt away, sucked in more water, and doused it again.

As the villagers and Meta Knight looked on, Kirby's water attacks began wearing away at the creature. It grew smaller and smaller as chunks of its body were washed away, and Fumu and Bun ran around behind it. With one shove it was thrown into the sea, turning the water a muddy brown as it dissolved. The villagers cheered, and Meta Knight felt pride well up inside him. The boy had actually figured it out on his own, and had seen a way to defeat the monster that Meta Knight hadn't thought of.

Pride turned to dismay, however, when he landed next to the three children. Kirby was absolutely filthy, covered from head to toe in mud. He smiled up at the knight, and Bun laughed as he caught sight of his sister, who was equally dirty. "That just came outta nowhere… I wonder what that was about?" Fumu wondered, ignoring her brother's laughing.

"It was probably 'ol You-Know-Who," Bun said. "I saw him sneaking around earlier."

"Yes, it seems he's lured the prince away so he could attack Kirby uninhibited," Meta Knight said. "Kirby, let's go."

"Wait, where are you off to?" Fumu asked.

"I'm going to take him back home."

"Aww, you never do anything like that," Fumu said, smiling. "I didn't know you cared about him so much, Sir Meta Knight."

"… I have my reasons." Meta Knight led Kirby back up the hill, too proud to admit that he was anxious to give the child a bath. If Marth saw him like this…

Once they were safely inside, Meta Knight went into the little bathroom and turned on the hot water. "Kirby, in here..." he said, but realized in horror that the child was already climbing into bed. "No, not yet." He rushed over to pick Kirby up, but saw that the sheets on Marth's bed were already ruined. Groaning, he carried the child into the bathroom and set him in the tub. "Perhaps I should have had you swim around in the ocean for a bit…" he mused, watching the child splash and bob in the soapy water. With Kirby occupied, Meta Knight went and found a mop to clean the floor with.

Not sure what to do with Marth's sheets, he found a spare blanket in the closet and threw it over the bed. Hopefully he would be long gone by the time the prince discovered the mess. Satisfied that thigs looked orderly again, he turned, only to find Kirby sliding around the floor on soapy water. "Poyooooo!"

"Stop that!" For the first time in a long, long time, Meta Knight was getting flustered. He had never had to look after a child before, and this one was exceptionally curious and high-strung. Though he felt a sense of personal responsibility for Kirby, as the newest and possibly only member of the next generation of Star Warriors, he hadn't expected to do this kind of hands-on care.

By the time he had the floor dried again, Kirby was hopping into his little bed. "Finally…" Meta Knight sighed, relieved. Then Kirby reached over and pulled a book into his lap, looking expectantly at Meta Knight.

"What is this?" The knight walked over and took the offered book, flipping through it briefly. It appeared to be a collection of fairy tales. "He reads you this nonsense?"

"Poyo!"

"Perhaps he will read you a story when he returns," Meta Knight said, laying the book aside. Kirby had other ideas, though.

"Poyooo!" he lifted the book up again, holding it out eagerly. "Poyoyo!"

"I am… not a very good storyteller."

"Story!" Kirby cried, waving the book around and almost whacking himself with it.

"Prince Marth… He is spoiling you, isn't he?" Reluctantly, Meta Knight took the book and sat at the foot of the bed. "Let's see… Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Snow White… What kinds of stories are these for a warrior?"

"Pyo!" Kirby was staring at him, smiling, his blue eyes sparkling. The same shade of blue as Marth's, the knight realized. Meta Knight sighed, and chose a story at random. Sleeping Beauty.

OOOOOO

Marth raced through the village, his boots hitting the cobblestones hard and kicking up dust behind him. Cappies waved to him as he passed, but he offered only a curt nod as he sped towards home. It was quite dark now, and soon the village lights were left behind in favor of the gloom of a moonless night. Atop the next hill, lights were glowing in the windows of the little house. Marth felt this was a good sign, but he sped up regardless.

The king had kept him busy with various tasks and requests, but after a while it became obvious that he was trying to distract him. When he'd heard those two children talking about the monster attack, that had confirmed Marth's suspicions. Threatening to dice the king into pieces if anything had happened to Kirby, Marth had dashed out of the castle and headed straight for home. His only consolation was that Meta Knight was with the boy.

At last he reached the house, and opened the door. He let out his breath in relief when he saw Meta Knight and Kirby sitting on Kirby's bed, a book open in Meta Knight's hands as Kirby gripped his pillow. "Poyo!" the child cried upon spotting Marth, and he leapt out of bed to hug him.

"Your Highness," Meta Knight greeted, laying the book aside. "I take it you realized the king's trick?"

"Too late, it seems," Marth said, carrying Kirby back to bed and setting him down. "But I'm glad to see he's all right…"

"He handled himself very well," Meta Knight said, his eyes shining blue for a moment. Marth smiled and sat next to Kirby, allowing the child to snuggle up next to him.

"You were reading a story to him?" the prince asked, eyeing the book.

"Now that you're here…"

"No, no, go ahead and finish."

"Very well," Meta Knight said, none too happy about it. "We were just to the part where the princess falls into a deep sleep."

"Poyo!"

"Sleeping Beauty," Marth sighed. "One of my favorites. Continue, please."

"As the princess reached for the sword, she felt a stinging pain in her finger. Just as the evil fairy had said…"

"Wait, a sword?" Marth interrupted. "She pricks her finger on a spinning wheel."

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Meta Knight said, "a spinning wheel poses very little threat."

"But her father had all the spinning wheels locked away," Marth said. "You can't imply that he instead banished all swords from the kingdom?"

"Yes, that is what allowed the invading army to take control."

"I- invading army?"

"The princess is now in exile, hence her discovery of the sword in another land. Whoever wrote this story should have had something more exciting happen, or else I wouldn't need to rewrite it."

"It gets exciting towards the end," Marth protested.

"No wonder these stories are read to children at bedtime. I would be put to sleep, too."

As the debated the validity of fairytales as a good source of entertainment, Kirby began to drift off. He liked listening to them talk. Smiling, dreaming of the fun day he'd had, he fell asleep long before the story could ever be finished.

Somewhere along the way, Marth realized the argument was moot. Smiling, he tapped Meta Knight's pauldron and pointed to Kirby's sleeping figure. The knight fell silent, almost awkwardly. Finally, he said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Thank you?"

"He is quite a handful. You look after him regardless, even though he is not your responsibility."

"I'm glad to do it," Marth said. "Every child needs someone to look after him, ne?"

"It's not easy, I admit," Meta Knight sighed. "You must be very patient."

"My sister taught me that patience. And stubbornness."

Silence again, but this one was a comfortable one. Then, mumbling happily in his sleep, Kirby sighed, "Dammit…"


End file.
